


It feels like Deja vu

by YunaDragneel



Series: Next Generation Batkids AU [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Everyone is older and has children AU, Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, depressed character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 09:57:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6149850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunaDragneel/pseuds/YunaDragneel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years came and went, the majority retired. Some died. And yet the Justice League still exists. New members, new faces. A Batman different from the one before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your lies fool no one

**Author's Note:**

> My partner and I have been planning this AU for quite a while and this fic is more or less a collection of short fics circling around the lives of the Batfam and the Justice League. We created quite a few new characters to serve as the children and new friends of our beloved characters. They will all be introduced.

“…Grayson.” Damian had picked up the phone, greeting the person on the other end of the line.

“Hey little D! How are you doing?” Dick was cheery. A good sign and Damian smiled softly. He hadn’t heard from the man in a while. He hadn’t heard much from anyone. They were settling in with their new life, whilst he was fully immersed in the role of Batman.

“I… I am alright.” He tended to lie. They all knew he was lying. But it didn’t matter to him. It didn’t to most of the others either. And he was okay with that. They all didn’t have to know. When they left, they all left for good. He wouldn’t force them back. Wouldn’t tell them how he felt, so they would get back just to ease things.

“Uh-huh. You’ll tell me what’s wrong and I─” Dick stopped for a moment, Damian could only hear _Dominic I am talking to your uncle Damian, yes I will greet him_ before Dick got back to him. “Ah- Sorry. Nico was curious about whom I was talking to. He says hello by the way.”

“Say hello from me as well.” Damian didn’t know how much Dominic changed. He saw him once and that was maybe a year or two ago. There wasn’t much going on in the family. Everyone went their separate ways. Maybe it was better like that. He was Batman. Different than Bruce. Alone.

“So where was I? Oh yeah. I know you’re not alright, c’mon Dami. Talk to me about everything.” Damian wanted to. He really did, but he kept his mouth shut.

“It really is nothing, Grayson.” There was nothing but a weak protest. It had no effect.

“You’re a liar.”

“Perhaps I am. But these are my problems to deal with.” Damian took a breath. “Gotham calls, Grayson. I have to leave.” He just wanted to get away from the phone. Stop talking.

“Hey, what do say to me coming over and helping out?”

“You have a child and you are old, Grayson.”

“I’m only in the midst of my forties! I can still kick ass!” He could hear Dick laugh.

“Grayson. I am serious. Your responsibilities lie with Dominic. Not with me. Not with Gotham. It is my city to protect now.” And that’s how it was. Everyone had different, other responsibilities. They were all with the children. None with Gotham.

“But you’re my little brother.”

“I am Batman too. Father died on the job. I cannot risk your life.” That was it. Damian hung up, he didn’t want Dick to persuade him into saying yes to having him on patrol in Gotham. The phone vibrated. Sent a text saying: ‘I’m coming over.’ It was everything Damian wanted not to happen.

 *

They met on a rooftop. Stood across from each other and Dick just grinned. Looked like old times in the Nightwing suit. With the difference that Damian was now Batman. He wasn’t bulky or packed with mass as Bruce was. He was slim. Fast. More power condensed into a smaller frame. But Dick? Dick looked like always. His face had lines though. From the age. He was getting even older. Damian wanted to tell him to go back home. Back to Dominic and not stay. But he couldn’t find the words when Dick hugged him. He couldn’t stop holding onto him for dear life. He was Batman for god’s sake and yet… Here he was. Standing in the embrace of the older brother he missed so dearly. It made him nauseous from all the pain in his chest he felt. Dick shouldn’t be out there.

“I missed you.” Those wretched three words Damian swore he wouldn’t ever say just came tumbling out of his mouth.

“I did too,” Dick gently pat his back.

“But still… I did not want you to come over,” Damian whispered, his gut twisting and churning as if he was sick. He was disgusted with himself. How he made Dick worry and come over. Come back into Gotham. Back to this damned city. “You should not have left Dominic.”

“He is fast asleep, I checked. Don’t worry, he’s a good kid.” Dick let go of Damian, smiled. Damian couldn’t return the smile. He couldn’t do it. There was too much in his mind. Everything was running wild. Dick seemed to notice and reassuringly pat his shoulder. “We can talk after we made sure Gotham is alright.” Damian nodded, feeling like he was drowning. The sinking feeling in his gut told him that something would go wrong. He knew it.

 *

There was a robbery. They decided to bust it, dropped down on the thieves and fought. Damian was fast, punched harder, tried to get most of them. Dick was as agile as ever, but he was rusty in fighting crime. Damian could see, how he wasn’t hitting as hard as he used to. Didn’t knock out the guy. He pulled the trigger on the gun─ the Kevlar didn’t stop it from going through. There was this autopilot as he beat the person that shot, kicked the other one left unconscious. He didn’t know what got into him when he took the gun and blew the guy’s brains out. Emptied the magazine into the robber’s head. Left him a disfigured corpse. Damian turned back to Dick, whose lungs were filling with his blood.

“Grayson─ Grayson I─ By god, Richard please,” Damian couldn’t grasp the sentence he wanted to say. He pressed his hands to the bullet wound, tried to keep the bleeding to a minimum. But it was more or less over for Dick. “I should have stopped you more efficiently─ this is all my fault.”

“No… Don’t blame yourself. It’s all on me,” Dick rasped out, black dots dancing in his vision, “I should’ve listened─ God I _am_ old. You were right, so right.” He was coughing up blood, the guy shot his lung. Dick would die.

“You cannot─ what will happen to Dominic? You have to live,” Damian couldn’t even fathom how Dick’s eight year old son would feel, knowing his father died. It was as if history repeated itself. Another Grayson, orphaned because of some criminal.

“I don’t want to die,” Dick whispered, his voice broken. He was crying, Damian knew. “I don’t want to leave him─ I─ God I don’t want to. But… please.” There was too long of a pause and Dick convulsed painfully. Blood just dripping from his nose and mouth.

“Grayson?” Damian felt like the ten year old over again. How he came back to life only to find out Grayson had faked died. When he had needed him he wasn’t there. And now he was dying.

“Take care of him. I beg of you please…” Silence enveloped them. Until Damian realized that it was only him anymore. Dick was gone. Damian told himself to get a grip on his emotions. To get up and take him. Bring him to the manor. He willed himself to work, picked him up and called for the Batmobile. He would get him back. Buried at the manor. At his home. Because that’s where Bruce was. That’s where Thomas and Martha Wayne were. That’s where they all would be within the next decades.


	2. When things go wrong I pretend the past isn’t real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This child would not suffer like Bruce’s Robins did. This child would not carry the same battle wounds, not if Damian could help it.

It was quiet at the manor. Aside from the sound of a child weeping down the halls. Weeks had passed since Damian took in Dominic. Weeks since they buried Dick. No one had gotten over it yet. It had only been weeks after all.

Damian stood outside Dominic’s new room at the manor. He had done as Dick asked, took the boy in. Cared for him. But he couldn’t fill the hole left in Dominic’s heart. Hell, he couldn’t even fill the hole in his own heart. Hadn’t been able to do so for the past years. How was he going to care for a child who went through a tragedy? Was it even possible for him? How could he do this?

“Dominic? Can I come in?” Damian asked quietly, knocking gently on the door. He heard small footsteps, the door opening. Before him stood the eight year old with red rimmed eyes, sniffling and unable to stop crying. Dominic looked up at Damian, trying his best not to cry. “It is okay to cry. You and I… we miss him. I know the feeling.” Dominic just let the sobs through and Damian knelt on the ground to be at eye level with the boy.

“I miss dad!” He cried. Damian reached out, pet the boy’s head. Maybe… just maybe it was right for him to train him as Robin. To give the boy something where he could cope with the sadness. Where he could help prevent another tragedy like his own. Or maybe he was making the same mistake as Bruce had and the boy would end up getting killed─ No. Damian was different than Bruce. He would protect Dominic with his life. This child would not suffer like Bruce’s Robins did. This child would not carry the same battle wounds, not if Damian could help it. This boy. His nephew. He would live. That, he would make sure of.

“I know. I am so sorry. It does not change anything but… I want to show you something,” Damian looked at Dominic, deciding to go through with this. “Can you keep a secret?” The boy nodded, biting his lip. He wondered what his uncle would want him to keep a secret.

“Dad said I am good at keeping secrets,” he sniffled.

“Then come with me.” Damian stood up, held his hand out for Dominic to take. The boy hesitated for a moment, but held onto Damian. And they walked over to the Grandfather’s clock connecting to the Batcave. Behind it, the elevator opened up and Dominic stared in awe. When the elevator closed Damian realized there was no going back. He would give Dominic the choice if he wanted to be Robin or not.

“What is this all?” Dominic asked, his eyes wide as he took in the cave. Looked over at the computers. The glass cases. The Batmobile and everything else that was there.

“This is the Batcave. You see, I am Batman. Your father was Batman once too. But he mostly went by the name Nightwing,” Damian explained nudging Dominic to follow him. They went to the glass cases containing the costumes. Most of them were hanging there to remind him of how much time had already passed. “Batman mostly has a partner named Robin. Your father was the first Robin.” He pointed to the Robin uniforms. “I want to give you the choice to channel your sadness to help the citizens of Gotham.” Dominic turned and stared at him with big eyes. “As my Robin.”

“You mean… I can be like dad?” He was staring at the different glass cases, the Robin uniforms. “I can help other people?”

“Yes.” Damian paused. “That is if you wish to do so. You will have to keep it a secret though. Your identity as Robin and my identity as Batman.” Dominic looked at Damian and back to the glass cases. “Do not worry. You have time to think.”

“Can I really do that?” Dominic walked back to Damian and looked up at him, the blue eyes full of curiosity. They reminded Damian of Dick.

“Yes you can. Robin gives hope and that you certainly do.” Dominic hugged Damian, pressing his face into his stomach and sniffling softly.

“I… want to do this. If I can be like my dad, I want to do this, please,” he whispered softly.

“It is a dangerous job. Your uncle Jason died whilst he was Robin. I died when I was Robin. It is not something to take lightly,” Damian responded, “I will try to shield you from all the harm, but I cannot always be there. Which is why I will train you until I see fit for you to go out.” Dominic nodded. “And I have to ask that you will listen to me. Not because I am Batman or an adult, but because I do not want anything to happen to you.”

“I understand! Thank you very much, Uncle Damian!” The boy smiled at him and Damian felt his insides twisting. He was doing the same his father did to Dick. He was making a child into a soldier.


	3. It doesn’t even matter how hard you try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hated that Damian was turning out like Bruce. He had expected better from him.

It only took two month until Tim was at his doorstep. Stopping by to see how they were. How Dominic was coping, more importantly. Damian opened the door, looked surprised to see Tim and let him in.

“Hello, Drake.” Damian greeted, putting on a smile which was more fake than genuine. Tim gently touched his shoulder, a reassuring gesture.

“How are you doing?” It wasn’t a secret that Damian was keeping something to himself.

“I am alive. And how are you?” He was dodging questions. It was obvious, but that’s what he had been doing for the past years. Dodging and avoiding questions thrown at him.

“I’m… well. Busy with the children. I wanted to see how you and Dominic were doing,” Tim replied, a soft smile on his face.

“Uncle Tim!!” Dominic bounded down the stairs in the foyer, skipping the last part to jump over the railing and roll off on the ground, running up to Tim with a smile. “I haven’t seen you in a while!!” The man was a little baffled, looking over to Damian, who avoided his eyes.

“You should come over once again! Adrien and Nina are already a little older.” Tim looked at the boy, checking him from head to toe for potential injuries. It was something he always did when at the manor. “Say where did you learn all these moves? That looks impressive,” Tim smiled. There was something sharp in his features.

“Oh uhm… well,” Dominic looked a little sheepish, glancing over at Damian. That was everything Tim needed.

“Hey Nico? Can you do me a favor and go to your room for a bit? I have to talk to Damian.” Dominic looked a little lost but nodded, walked up the stairs, always looking back to them. When he was out of sight Tim glared at Damian. “What the hell do you think you are doing?!”

“Drake, listen to me─”

“No! Do you even know what you’re doing? You’re just like Bruce, creating child soldiers,” Tim snarled, “Have you ever thought what could happen to him? That he could die out in the field?!”

“Yes and I have told him what happened,” Damian responded, “He knows about Todd, about how I died. I told him it was risky. I gave him the choice, Drake. I told him he could back out if he wish─” Damian’s cheek stung as Tim had slapped him. The burning anger in his veins didn’t diminish. He wanted to really punch Damian, but Tim hadn’t done much for training when he retired. It would be foolish because Damian was so much stronger now.

“Do you even listen to yourself?! He’s a child for god’s sake!! Damian you’re creating a child soldier, for what purpose?!” Tim felt so much anger in the pit of his stomach. He hated that Damian was turning out like Bruce. He had expected better from him. Had expected him to learn from Bruce’s mistakes. But now he made more mistakes than the old man. He repeated the goddamn history.

“For his own good. He can channel his sadness and do good,” Damian whispered, “Dominic wants to be like his father. It was his choice.”

“Dick asked you to _protect_ his son and not get him killed as Robin!” Tim grabbed Damian by his collar, shook him whilst he glared.

“That is what I am doing. I am protecting him from the sadness, Drake. There is nothing more dangerous than losing someone and you should know that.” Damian averted his eyes after he said that.

“That was a fucking low blow and you know that,” Tim growled, “You know what? I hope by god that someone out there can forgive you, because I certainly won’t.” Damian’s eyes widened a little. “It was a mistake to come here. You’re no better than Bruce and I thought no one could be worse. But I was wrong. You are definitely the worst.” With that he let go of Damian and left, slamming the door behind him on the way out.

Damian stood there. Lost. So lost. What had he done? Had this just happened? He leaned against the wall, slid to the ground. Why was it so wrong to do this? He was different from Bruce. He helped Dominic. There was no way in hell he was like Bruce. Quiet footsteps made him look up. Dominic hadn’t gone to his room. He had been upstairs hiding and listening.

“Are you okay?” The boy asked and Damian found himself nodding.

“Yes.”

“Why did Uncle Tim get so angry?” He sat down beside Damian, a little closer, brushing his shoulder against Damian’s. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No. It’s not your fault.” There was a pause. “Am I doing the right thing? This could get you killed…”

“I decided this for myself! Maybe I can talk to him! This can─”

“Dominic, no.” Damian shushed him gently, reaching out to pat his shoulder. “Drake… he lost a lot of people in the time he was Robin. Father wasn’t always there, he was the emotionally inarticulate person. Deep down, he was sad.”

“But it’s not fair!!”

“It isn’t. But I knew that he would react that way. I believe our ties are severed…” Damian whispered. “You can still go visit them. I will not keep you here. If you want to go to them, I will not stop you.” Dominic shook his head.

“I won’t leave you,” the boy stated, tentatively wrapping his arms around Damian. “You took me in and… I feel like I did something wrong.”

“You didn’t. I gave you the choice. It’s on me.”

“Will Uncle Tim ever talk to you again?” Dominic asked.

“I don’t know. But that should not concern you.” They sat in silence, Dominic holding onto Damian and dozing off a little. Inside, Damian felt like he was breaking. But he couldn’t let it through. He shouldn’t… He shouldn’t let it show how he hurt over the declaration of Tim never contacting him again. How much he hurt over Tim never forgiving him again.


End file.
